Healing Heartbreak for the Holidays
by Mikauzoran
Summary: On the night Kaito was going to propose, Aoko breaks up with him instead, just in time for Christmas. Hakuba and Shinichi do everything in their power to get their crush out of his apartment and smiling once again, but can they convince Kaito that not all is lost and that this may just be the start of a new relationship with them?


Mikau: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for checking this out! This is my submission for the Poirot Café forum's third writing competition. Thanks a bunch to everyone who read and voted for my submission for last contest, "Drowning in Fear"! Thanks to everyone's support, I won, so I got to pick the next contest theme: "Christmas Eve". The suggested prompts are: "kiss", "girls' or boys' night", and "present exchange". Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, the Tokyo PD would have a Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve party. Lots of fun options and tons of potential there.

…

Healing Heartbreak for the Holidays

Twilight had set in, and the thin layer of snow dusting the rooftops was beginning to glow blue in the fading light. The street lamps turned on, guiding the way of the salarymen as they headed home for the night. Some students were on their way to cram school while others had decided to skip and were roaming the streets to kill time.

Hakuba Saguru chuckled softly as he watched them all from his perch on the second floor of the little apartment complex where his best friend Kuroba Kaito lived. Saguru was sitting just outside Kaito's apartment with his back against the door for the third day in a row now. He held no delusions about being let in, but he was determined to sit there regardless, just in case today happened to be the day that Kaito opened up both literally (the door) and figuratively (finally deciding to talk to Saguru).

It was the third day now that Kaito had been shut up in his apartment. It was the third day since Nakamori Aoko had broken up with him. They'd been dating six years—since the end of Kid and the beginning of college, since they were eighteen—and now it was over. Saguru could understand Kaito's desire to close himself up indoors, his need to be alone; however, Saguru also knew Kaito, and he knew that if someone didn't intervene sooner or later, Kaito would _never_ come out again.

Saguru sighed and watched as the breath he exhaled turned white as it came in contact with the chilly winter air. It was colder than usual this year—only the third week of December and they'd already gotten snow. But…it was pretty. He'd probably appreciate it more if he wasn't sitting out in it, but…

"Hakuba-keiji," Yamanaka-san, a kindly old man with a hearty laugh who just happened to be Kaito's landlord, called out to Saguru as he ascended the steps on his way to his own apartment. "Out again today, I see. Is Kaito-kun still holed up in there?"

Saguru got to his feet and moved out of the way as Yamanaka-san passed in the corridor. "Good evening, Sir. It looks like it. I really would like to respect his privacy and let him sort things out on his own, but…I know for a fact that he's not eating properly. I'm very worried about him."

"Well, sitting out in the cold isn't doing anyone any good. Come inside and warm up, young man," Yamanaka invited, motioning Saguru towards his apartment two doors down. "You're too loyal for your own good. Just like Hachiko, you are."

Saguru bit his lip and looked to Kaito's door for answers. It gave no discernable reply.

Sighing once more, Saguru declined. "Thank you very much for your generosity, Yamanaka-san, but I'd hate to leave him…. You know. Just in case he needs me."

"You're going to catch your death of cold out here," Yamanaka-san clucked. "At least let me bring you out some tea or hot chocolate to help keep you warm."

Saguru opened his mouth to turn down the kind offer just as Kaito's door opened a crack, cutting him off.

The weak, tired voice of Kuroba Kaito mumbled, "Sorry to keep you sitting out in the cold, Haku-chan. You should come in."

Tossing a quick thank you over his shoulder at Yamanaka-san, Saguru burst through his best friend's door, pulling the sad mess of a Kaito into a tight hug. Saguru stopped just short of squeezing the life out of the magician, and pulled back, ready to scold his friend. But once he got a good look at Kaito—glassy stare, eyes puffy and red, soulless expression set into his face—Saguru decided against admonishment and instead tugged Kaito into another embrace.

"Hey," he whispered, patting Kaito on the back. "Thanks for letting me in."

"I'm sorry," Kaito mumbled. "I didn't realize it was that cold out there."

Saguru shook it off, never having held it against Kaito in the first place. "A cold front moved in about two days ago. As you can see, it snowed," Saguru reported, indicating the scene outside the still open door. "Not your fault you didn't know. Now…is there anything I can do for you?" Saguru pulled away slightly to get a good look at Kaito's face.

Kaito took the opportunity to break away, going to pick up the mound of blankets on the floor by the door. Kaito had been curling up in them whenever Saguru came to sit on the other side of the door and talk at him through the mail slot. He'd found comfort in the sound of another human voice, but he hadn't had the courage to actually let anyone in, let anyone see him the state he was in.

Throwing the blankets at the washer as he passed, Kaito headed down the hall and into the living area where there was a little table and some cushions set up. He motioned for Hakuba to sit on one of the pillows while Kaito stumbled about trying to tidy up a bit.

"_No_," Saguru chided, taking the young man by the shoulders and guiding him over to the table/cushions setup. "_You_ sit down. I'm going to make you something to eat. You know I don't care that your room is a mess. Kaito, you don't have to clean up for me or offer me tea or any of that hogwash. We lived together the entirety of college; I'm inoculated to your untidiness. Now, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry, Haku-chan," Kaito sighed, closing his eyes and resting his chin on the table in front of him.

"Right. Miso, omraisu, and fruit it is," the Brit announced, and then, as he was gathering ingredients from the magician's poorly stocked kitchen and preparing the meal, inquired tentatively, "…Did you want to talk about it, Kaito?"

Kaito was still for a few minutes, listening to the calming sounds of the frying pan crackling and the pot bubbling. It reminded him of his father making breakfast on Saturday mornings. With a sigh, Kaito finally responded. "I'd really thought we were on the same page. She told me the other week that she really wanted to talk about our relationship, and I said that I did too, so we went to a really fancy restaurant, but…look in the microwave."

Raising an eyebrow skeptically, Saguru reached over and opened the microwave.

Inside was a ring box.

Saguru stared at it in horror. "K-Kaito…"

"She…she said thanks, but…that she doesn't feel that way about me anymore, so…" Kaito shifted so that he was resting his head on his arms. "I don't know what I did wrong."

Saguru set down his spatula and went over to his friend, kneeling beside Kaito and rubbing the magician's back in soothing circles as Kaito cried silently. "Trust me, it's not you. If there was anything you did wrong, it was all the lying before you two actually started dating. I can assure you that you haven't done anything in the course of your relationship, Kaito. This isn't _your_ fault…. These things just happen sometimes."

"But why did it have to happen to _me_ after all I've been through already?" Kaito sniffed bitterly.

Saguru had nothing to say in response, no words of comfort or explanation, so he just sat there with his friend, feeling utterly useless, until he had to get up to check on the food.

As he was setting the dishes down on the table, he thought of something. "You know, Kaito…I know you're not religious, but…Baaya used to always tell me this whenever things didn't work out: whenever God shuts a door, God opens a window."

Kaito looked up in disinterest as the food was placed before him.

"It means that…even though this didn't work out…there's something better waiting for you. I know that probably doesn't offer any comfort to you now, but…" Saguru pursed his lips and trailed off, seeing that his words weren't getting through.

So instead he decided to take care of Kaito's immediate needs. "Go ahead and eat before it gets cold, Kai."

"Thanks," Kaito mumbled, poking at the food. "And thanks for coming and sitting with me every day. I'm sorry I didn't…I couldn't let you in. I…"

"I understand," Saguru assured. And he did. Because he had shared a dorm room with Kaito for four years, and he had seen what a catatonic state Kaito would go into whenever he and Aoko fought and Kaito believed it all to be over. "And you're very welcome."

About halfway through the meal, Saguru broke the silence between them hesitantly. "…You know, Kaito, I was thinking that perhaps you should get out of this place—be around other people for a few weeks, since Christmas is the day after tomorrow and then after that is New Year's. It's a depressing time of the year to be alone, and I don't believe it's doing you any good, shutting yourself up. I'm aware of the fact that you don't feel like dealing with people, but…I do think some social interaction would behoove you."

Kaito shrugged, not liking the idea but knowing that he wouldn't have much choice in the matter. Hakuba had gotten rather…insistent over the years. "What did you have in mind?" he sighed in resignation.

"We're going to go stay with Shinichi until after New Year's," Saguru announced.

Kaito sighed again and gave another shrug for good measure. "You're allowed to invite people over to his house for extended stays now? Did you two get married in the past three days while I was hiding under a rock?"

Saguru blushed, wondering if Kaito knew that Saguru and Shinichi were more than just friends. "He won't mind," Saguru assured, trying not to react to the marriage comment. "Besides, he's got plenty of extra rooms in that enormous house he has all to himself."

And so it was settled. After Saguru forced Kaito to finish every last bite, they packed and made their way to the Kudo Manor. Kaito noted that Hakuba made no mention of stopping by his own house to pick up supplies. That would imply that the blonde had a drawer (if not his own closet) as well as things like shampoo and a toothbrush already at Shinichi's house. Kaito suppressed a leer and suggestive comments.

Saguru was just pulling his copy of the house key out of his pocket when Kudo Shinichi himself walked through the front gate. He stopped and looked at them (Kaito specifically) in surprise.

"You actually ferreted him out?" Shinichi called to Saguru as he came up to meet them. "I hope you didn't lure him with promises of massive amounts of chocolate," he remarked sotto voce before turning to the magician and clapping him on the shoulder. "Hey, Kaito. Good to see you."

"Hey," Kaito replied weakly, raising a hand in greeting

Saguru rolled his eyes fondly at Shinichi as he opened the door. "No, silly; I pulled him out kicking and screaming. Kaito and I are going to be staying here for a few weeks, by the way."

Shinichi's ears seemed to prick up like an excited puppy, and a wolfish grin spread across his face as they made their way into the entry hall. "Oh yeah? A couple weeks?"

"Yes. Kaito needs to be around his friends," Saguru returned levelly, but he sent his boyfriend a look that said that there would be no funny business.

Kaito observed, and it was almost as if he could see Shinichi's ears droop in response.

"Of course. It'll be great to have you for the holidays, Kaito." Shinichi managed a cheerful reply even as he made a mental note to cancel the reservations he'd made months in advance for their perfect Christmas Eve date.

Knowing that he was only getting in the couple's way, Kaito felt extremely awkward, but before he could say anything, apologize for intruding or offer to leave, Saguru took Kaito by the arm and escorted him upstairs to one of the guestrooms.

After Kaito had settled in, the trio spent the rest of the evening pleasantly, playing cards and board games, watching movies, chatting, and eating junk food. Despite himself, Kaito almost forgot about his problems and had a good time, but then the clock tolled midnight, and the three began to prepare for bed. Kaito knew that once he retired to his room for the night, all alone in the dark, it would be difficult to fight back his inner demons.

Sensing his friend's reluctance to be left alone, Saguru volunteered to sleep in the guestroom with him. "Just in case you need something."

"Nah. I'll be okay. Thanks, though," Kaito replied with a bit of a forced smile. Really, he could use the company, but he didn't want to get in the way of Hakuba and Shinichi's love life.

"If you're sure," Saguru hummed, biting his lip, he himself hesitant to leave Kaito alone. "Feel free to change your mind, though. I'll just be in the guestroom next to yours."

Kaito caught Saguru by the arm as the blonde turned to head into his respective room. "Hold up," Kaito ordered with an incredulous frown. "Aren't you gonna sleep in there with Shin-chan? I mean, don't keep separate bedrooms just for appearances' sake on my account."

Saguru's mouth dropped open. "You…knew about…?"

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Please. You should see the way he looks at you. _Anyone_ would figure it out. Now go sleep with your man. He shouldn't have to suffer for two or three weeks just because I'm here."

Saguru pursed his lips. "Thank you, but you needn't be so considerate. _You're_ my priority right now."

"You're going to make your boyfriend jealous, saying things like that," Kaito chuckled softly.

Saguru shook his head. "Shinichi understands about you and me. Anyone else, he'd start flaming at the ears and plotting his revenge, but…you're special, Kaito. Now, come along. I'll lie with you until you fall asleep."

Kaito actually conked out pretty quickly, and Saguru was able to slip out without waking the slumbering magician.

"Hello there," Shinichi purred, sitting up in bed as Saguru ducked into his room and found his way into Shinichi's arms. "Am I dreaming? I thought I was sleeping alone for the next three weeks."

Saguru chuckled as he drew a languid kiss from his beloved's lips. "Apparently Kaito already knew about us. He says he doesn't want to get in our way as a couple, so…" Saguru leaned back in, drinking from Shinichi's lips like a man dying of thirst.

"Did you tell him he's too late?" Shinichi teased pulling Saguru down onto the mattress with him. "That he gets in my way on a daily basis 'cause you're still in love with him?"

"Shinichi," Saguru whispered against the brunette's collarbone.

Shinichi gave him a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay. Having loved the same woman for more than a decade, I can understand where you're coming from with your eight-year-long unrequited love. But hey, Aoko-san finally broke up with him, right? Maybe now's your chance to have the real thing instead of just a look-alike substitute."

"Shinichi," Saguru growled softly, his own feelings hurt by his boyfriend's implications. "You're not just a substitute. After two whole years, do you still doubt my love for you?"

"Not at all," Shinichi chuckled, placing a loving kiss at Saguru's temple. "I'm sorry. I'm being mean. This has got to be hard for you too, seeing him like this."

Saguru nodded, snuggling closer and letting his head rest on Shinichi's chest.

Shinichi bit his lip before tentatively continuing. "He's a real cutie, isn't he?"

Saguru lifted his head slightly to get a look at the expression on Shinichi's face. "Yes? And what of it?"

Shinichi ran a hand soothingly through Saguru's soft hair. "I've kind of had a crush on him too for a while now—nothing like how you feel for him, but… He intrigues me intellectually, and I kind of enjoy his bad personality…. Plus, he looked really good in that suit."

"Why are you telling me this?" Saguru entreated, feeling uneasy.

"Because he's really hurting right now, you're still in love with him, and there's room enough in this bed for one more," Shinichi stated bluntly.

Saguru broke away, sitting up. He said nothing.

"You don't like the idea?" Shinichi asked tentatively, coming up to sitting as well.

Saguru shook his head. "I…honestly, you're offering to fulfill a personal fantasy of mine, but…I just don't know if it's a _good_ idea, Shinichi…. Kaito is…We're two of the few friends that he has, and if something should go wrong…I don't want him to feel even more isolated."

"Then…maybe we should go easy at first? Woo him slowly?"

"Let's start by just taking care of him," Saguru suggested. "…and maybe…maybe take him with us on our date tomorrow night?"

"Perfect," Shinichi hummed, wrapping his arms around his mate and tugging Saguru down on top of him. "…just like you."

"Charmer," Saguru scoffed, rolling his eyes, but he didn't resist being pulled into a fiery kiss.

…

The next morning, Kaito awoke to the laughter of lovers, and he began thinking that this might not be the best place to piece his broken heart back together after all, but then both Saguru and Shinichi came into his bedroom with breakfast trays, and they all sat on Kaito's bed and ate, the two detectives practically forcing Kaito to participate in their lively discussion.

After they'd all gotten dressed, Shinichi pulled Kaito into the living room to play some video games while Saguru watched for the most part, sometimes jumping in to play against the winner during the fighting games. The blonde would then proceed to trounce them both.

"Years of being a loner comes in handy sometimes," Saguru chuckled as his character body-slammed Shinichi's into the pavement.

They played until lunch, and then the boys headed into the kitchen to whip up a simple meal of salad, soup, and sandwiches that appealed to each boy's pallet. After that, Saguru forced Kaito to sit in the kitchen with him as he made an assortment of cookies. Not a whole lot of coercion was needed to get Kaito to stick around, though, and soon Kaito was up to his elbows in dough right alongside Saguru; however, their efforts quickly devolved into a good-natured, flour-throwing, name calling match.

While they waited for their cookies and cake to bake, the trio headed into the living room once more to watch a movie.

Once night fell, Kaito began to get antsy. "You guys…thanks. I really appreciate you including me today so I didn't have to be alone for Christmas Eve, but…you should go do some couple stuff now. Go on a date. Do something romantic."

"About that…" Shinichi started but then deferred to Saguru.

"We want you to come with us," Saguru informed, looking completely serious.

Kaito frowned and whispered, "Haku-chan, you're gonna get in trouble with your boyfriend if you keep this up."

"Actually," Shinichi broke in. "We honestly do want you to come, Kaito. It's something we decided together. I really am okay with it."

Kaito blinked and then gave the detective an incredulous look, but he wasn't allowed to argue any further as they dragged him off on their date.

Strangely enough, Kaito didn't particularly feel like a third wheel. He was comfortable with Shinichi and Saguru. They'd all been friends for years now and had kind of just fallen into a natural pattern when they were all three together, and it was reassuring for Kaito to have that stability, that security.

Throughout dinner they laughed and chatted and quibbled about silly things that didn't really matter to anyone but them. They reminisced and poked fun, and Kaito had a magnificent time. It made him realize that it'd been a while since he'd laughed or smiled so much. It made him realize that even before the breakup he hadn't been this happy in a long time.

He'd been stressed out, trying to overlook the steadily more frequent number of fights with Aoko. He'd been trying to be the perfect boyfriend…trying too hard, maybe. He'd been exhausted from wearing his poker face more and more often. He'd been faking it and forcing himself to be "happy". He'd lost sight of what "happy" really was.

And as he sat there at that table in that fancy restaurant, spending time with his best friends, silent tears began to trickle down his cheeks.

"Wh-What's the matter?" a flustered Shinichi stuttered. "I was only joking about the tie, Kaito. I didn't mean it!"

"Kaito?" Saguru called softly, placing a hand on Kaito's upper arm. "Kaito, what is it?"

Kaito shook his head and wiped away the tears with the back of his hand, smiling genuinely as he looked at his friends. "I was just thinking…I was really, really unhappy with Aoko, and…it's a good thing she didn't want to marry me, 'cause we both would have been miserable. See? You were right, Haku-chan, when you were talking about that 'everything happens for a reason' stuff yesterday."

Saguru reached out and wrapped an arm around Kaito, giving him a reassuring squeeze as he rested his head against the magician's. "Oh, Kaito…"

Seeing his beloved and his beloved's crush together like that, Shinichi couldn't help but voice his honest opinion. "You two are so cute," he cooed, mussing each's hair. He pulled both of them into a group hug and nuzzled Kaito and Saguru in turn.

Kaito laughed joyously and returned the hugs. "You guys, we're making a scene," he reported, not actually caring one bit.

"Don't worry. If they try to kick us out, we'll just buy the restaurant," Shinichi assured.

"More importantly, are you alright, Kaito?" Saguru pulled back a little to inspect Kaito.

Kaito wiped the tears away again and nodded. "Yeah. I just…this really sucks, guys."

"I can relate," Shinichi replied gently, moving back and patting Kaito on the arm. "I'd be happy to talk about it with you, if you want."

Kaito nodded once more, feeling immensely grateful to have such good friends. "Yeah. Later, Shin-chan. I'm probably gonna have to take you up on that later. Right now…I want to keep having fun with you two, take my mind off of things, you know?"

"Certainly," Saguru replied with a loving smile.

"Just let me know when you need to talk," Shinichi urged with an encouraging grin. "Until then, why don't you go ahead and order a couple desserts, and we'll all share?"

Kaito's eyes lit up.

"You certainly know where his buttons are," Saguru chuckled fondly.

Shinichi shrugged. "He's a simple creature deep down. Animals always perk up if you give them food."

"Hey now," Kaito grumbled.

"I hear they have really good chocolate mousse here," Shinichi shamelessly exploited Kaito's weakness. "And chocolate fudge brownies, chocolate lava cake, chocolate cheesecake… Why don't you order one of each, Kaito?"

All was forgiven as Kaito squealed in delight. "Shin-chan, I love you! Would _you_ marry me instead?"

"Sure, but Saguru and I are a package deal," Shinichi teased.

Kaito hummed thoughtfully as he signaled for the waiter. "I could live with that," he replied, but he was facing away from them at the time, so the detectives couldn't tell if Kaito were serious. His voice betrayed nothing.

After dinner, the boys walked around Tokyo for a while, admiring the twinkling lights lining the streets, the cheery holiday window displays, the blowing snow sprinkling down on them like fairy dust, and the ice encasing the bare tree limbs and leaves on the shrubs. At Beika Station, they stopped and took a picture in front of the enormous tree out in the plaza before heading home to the Kudo Manor. They arrived just as the grandfather clock in the hall chimed eleven.

Kaito sighed wistfully as he hung up his coat and unwound his scarf.

"What's the matter?" Saguru prodded, slipping off his earmuffs.

"Something wrong?" Shinichi chimed in, pulling off his gloves by the fingertips.

Kaito shook his head and smiled drearily. "I'm just kind of sad that it's over, but I had a really great time tonight, guys. Thanks for letting me crash your date."

Saguru smirked, nodding for Shinichi to go into the living room. "It's not over yet. You've still got to open your present."

Kaito blinked, head slowly tilting to the side. "Present?"

"Ready when you are!" Shinichi called out from the living room.

"Come along," Saguru chuckled, placing his hand at the small of Kaito's back and guiding the magician in.

The first thing Kaito noticed was that the furniture had all been pushed to the side so that the floor space in front of the TV was clear for the three sleeping bags now spread out there. Next, the awe-inspiring Christmas tree that hadn't been there before caught Kaito's eye. It was decked out in ornaments, ribbons, tinsel, and lights, and sitting at the foot of the tree in a little carrier was a creamy white kitten wearing a large red bow.

Kaito's mouth dropped open, and he looked to Shinichi and Saguru for confirmation.

The detectives just laughed and grinned at the look on Kaito's face.

"Yes," Saguru finally assured. "She's yours."

Kaito rushed over to the tree and quickly undid the latch on the carrycase, carefully extracting the little ball of fluff.

"We were talking the other day about how you could probably use some company, someone to take care of so that you'd take better care of yourself," Shinichi explained. "So…Merry Christmas, Kaito."

"Merry Christmas," Saguru echoed, coming over to stand by his boyfriend and rest his head on Shinichi's shoulder.

Shinichi happily slipped an arm around Saguru's waist and enjoyed the sight of Kaito playing with the kitten.

Tears had started to fall from Kaito's eyes once more in a mix of joy and gratitude. He gazed up at the couple and grinned brightly. "Thank you guys so much. I…I just…I can't…Thank you!" he laughed through tears, setting the kitten down carefully in her carrier before getting up and throwing his arms around both detectives. "Thank you," he whispered, pulling back and looking each of them in the eye before leaning in and placing twin kisses on Saguru and Shinichi's cheeks. "I really can't thank you two enough."

"You don't have to thank us at all," Shinichi assured, mussing Kaito's hair. "We're your friends, and we want you to be happy."

Saguru nodded in whole-hearted agreement. "It's as he says. Now, I'm going to go make popcorn and hot chocolate. You two settle in, alright? We're having a sleepover down here tonight so we can all be together," he announced, patting Kaito lovingly on the cheek before breaking away to head for the kitchen.

Shinichi smiled and bent down to inspect the kitten. "What are you going to name her?"

"Miyuki," Kaito announced, sitting down on the floor and scooping up the puffball. "…And thanks again, Shinichi. I mean…for letting me stay at your house and tag along on your date with Haku-chan…and, I guess, just for tolerating me in general. Even though you know how Haku-chan still feels about me…you're still nice to me, and you don't forbid him from being my friend, and…and all that. So…thanks. You're a really great guy."

Shinichi shrugged, pulling a loose string out of his sock for Miyuki to play with. "It's really not a big deal, Kaito. We were all friends before Ru and I started dating, and…I know how important you two are to each other. Plus I'm pretty fond of you myself…. And it was _my_ idea to invite you on our date."

Kaito looked at Shinichi in surprise, but his expression soon transformed into a pleased grin. "Really?"

"Yeah." Shinichi smiled mischievously, leaning in and placing a light peck on Kaito's lips. "And I'd like to invite you on more of our dates in the future too. I know it's a little soon after Aoko-san, but…think about it?"

Kaito's face turned Rudolf's nose red, and he nodded as his heart raced like a frightened rabbit.

"Shinichi!" Saguru scolded from where he had poked his head in to ask if they wanted marshmallows with their hot chocolate. "What did I say about going slow? Now he's going to be afraid that we'll eat him in his sleep!"

"But he's so cute! You should have seen the face he was making! How could I help myself?" Shinichi presented his defense.

Almost in a daze and seeming not to hear them, Kaito asked, "You guys…want me to join you?"

"If that's something that _you_ want," Saguru replied nervously. "We don't mean to freak you out or scare you away, and if you _don't_ want to be a part of our family, that's perfectly fine. We're okay with just being friends, and Shinichi and I are both capable of keeping our hands to ourselves, right Shinichi?"

"Right," Shinichi sighed and then corrected himself upon receiving a glare from Saguru. "I mean, yes. He's right."

Kaito bit his lip and thought about the way he had felt that day and the previous evening, spending all of that time with Saguru and Shinichi. It was honestly the happiest he'd been in months since things had started going downhill with Aoko. He liked being with them, having them there for him. He wasn't quite sure if he could eventually come to love them as more than the brothers he saw them as now, but…if he could be with them like this…he liked the sound of that a lot.

"I don't know," Kaito replied honestly. "Part of me wants to say yes, but…I'm kind of messed up right now. Maybe in a few months or a year or so I'll be able to say for sure, but…until then, would it be okay for me to be with you guys just like this?"

Saguru came over and patted Kaito on the head with a smile. "We'd be happy to have you for as long as you'll have us," Saguru assured, and Shinichi nodded in agreement, pulling Kaito into a one-armed hug. "Now do you want marshmallows in your hot chocolate? We also have chocolate whipped cream."

"Yes please!" Kaito giggled in delight, grateful once more for his wonderful friends and genuinely excited for the day that he would be able to become a member of their family.

The

End

…

Mikau: What did you think? Going back over it now, I'm really happy with it, and I like the way it turned out a lot. While I was writing it, though, there were a lot of times when I almost gave up and scrapped the whole thing. It was a struggle to write some parts, but I'm really glad that I pushed through. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. If you have a sec, let me know what you think. Here's hoping that your holiday season is off to a good start! Thanks for reading, guys! Take care!


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